MCLA Gallery 51 Presents 'At Water's Edge: Thresholds of Memory'

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Gallery 51 at Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) will present "At Water's Edge: Thresholds of Memory," paintings by Andrae Green.
 
The exhibition opens July 11 and runs through September 11, 2026, with a reception Friday, Aug. 7 from 5-7 p.m.
 
According to a press release: 
 
The exhibition title captures both the physical environment and the psychological depth of Andrae Green's recent narrative paintings. To stand at water's edge is to inhabit a classic liminal space—a boundary where land, air, and sea meet and dissolve into one another. For Green, this threshold is not merely a geographic marker, but a profound site of memory and transformation. Fragmented scenes, layered imagery, and shifting perspectives create a feeling of dislocation. Figures often appear suspended, or at a threshold, mirroring their unstable environments. The paintings evoke fluid, non-linear histories that transcend a single moment, collapsing past and present into a singular, psychological space.
 
Originally from Kingston, Jamaica, Andrae Green discovered art through Marvel and DC comic books—the only art resources available where he grew up. In a community grappling with economic hardship, social upheaval, and violence, he found refuge in art, school, and church. These formative experiences continue to shape Green's aesthetic, balancing existential inquiry with resilience.
 
Green's distinctions include serving as the 2019 Experience Jamaique in Geneva Artist-in-Residence, representing Jamaica at the Beijing Biennale on five occasions, and acting as the U.S. representative at the Salon de Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. His paintings have been showcased internationally at the National Gallery of Jamaica, Maddox Gallery in Los Angeles, and the Southampton Arts Center in New York. His first museum solo exhibition, "Palindrome: Back to Hope," took place at the Art Complex Museum in Duxbury, Massachusetts. In 2025, Green was awarded second place in the Danforth Museum annual juried exhibition and received a non-studio residency at the Boston Art Center, which culminated in his solo exhibition "Paradise Mash-up" at the Mills Gallery, curated by Natalie DeJesus and Tiara Brown. Recent exhibitions include "Peripheral Visions" with partner Priya N. Green at OOO Easthampton Project Space, "Bridges of Belonging—Where Paths Converge" at Seven Bridges Foundation, and "Women Rising" at KNOWHEREART in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts.
 
"At Water's Edge: Thresholds of Memory" will be on view from July 11-September 11, 2026, at Gallery 51, located at 51 Main St. in North Adams, Massachusetts. An artist's reception will be held Friday, Aug. 7, from 5-7 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.
 
Gallery hours and additional programming information are available at Upcoming Exhibitions.
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Boutique General Store Opens on Holden Street in North Adams

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — A newly opened boutique general store on Holden Street offers local and regional products along with a curated selection of gifts, wines and artwork. 
 
"It's just a lot of my favorite makers and small brands that I've, in my mind, collected over the years because I've wanted to do this for I don't even know since forever," owner Hannah Blazejewski said. "I'm trying to keep as much of the product at least local to New England as I can." 
 
The name for the Diving Horse at 26 Holden St. was inspired by one of her favorite movies, "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken," the story of a girl who joins a diving horse stunt show during the Depression.  
 
Blazejewski found the current space earlier this year before moving back to the county in March. It was formerly North Adams Yoga, so when she moved in she repainted the place and also worked with Outlook Builders to build the shelving and her dream "mousehole" wall.
 
The store showcases local goods from throughout New England, and she described it as a general store and gift boutique built around a personal collection of favorite makers, small brands, and hard-to-find products.
 
Her shop also includes children's items, artwork, stickers, home decor, cheeses, non-perishable items, wines and a selection of Scandinavian candy.
 
She said she hopes to contribute to the local economy, connect with other businesses and artists, and respect the city's history and culture.
 
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